The referenced book "Technik des Flexodruckes" ("Technology of Flexoprinting"), Coating Verlag Thomas & Co., publishers, describes doctor blade units in which the doctor blades are coupled to a structural element which defines a chamber, to which ink is being supplied. This chamber forms an ink retention chamber, retaining and applying the ink to the anilox roller of the inker. For simplicity of description, this type of combination of doctor blades and ink supplying chamber will be referred to as a chambered doctor blade unit. Chambered doctor blade units as described in the literature reference are constructed as structural elements which are connected by screw connections to a cross member on the printing machine. If it is desired to exchange or disassemble the chambered doctor blade unit, for example to change color of the ink, a substantial number of screw connections must be loosened and, after exchange of the unit, must again be reconnected.
In many printing machines, a plurality of such chambered doctor blade units are located axially adjacent each other; to disassemble and reassemble such units is time-consuming and requires skilled adjustment for proper placement of the doctor blades of the units with respect to the anilox roller. Chambered doctor blade units are also at times referred to as doctor blade ink chambers.